White Hair
by BookZombie
Summary: A captured wraith dies of starvation in the Atlantis Expedition's brig, a young female marine learn that even monsters do not wish to die alone.


(Ok the regular disclaimer stuff, this is a fanfiction, it is set in the Stargate Atlantis world, which I have no claim on, it is written just for my own amusement and and just meant for fun. The story of the Yuki Onna is a Japanese folktale as is based on the story by Koizumi Yakumo and is not by my design. This is a fanfiction and not meant for profit.)

White Hair

The first thing Helena noticed as she entered the prison area was the shape in the holding cell at the center of the room. It lay in a fetal position with it's back to her. Helena could see a slender back, and thin legs all hidden under a layer of black leather robe like clothes. But what really caught the young soldier's attention was the hair, long, white hair witch spilled unto the cell floor like a pool of silver moonlight. The Wraith did not move as Helena went through the formalities of starting her shift and relieving the soldier witch had served day duty as guard for the captive monster. Helena saw Jacob Fenrics off and took up her position outside the cell, she could feel fear like a knot in her belly, she had seen what these creatures was capable of, had seen one of the wretched race reduce a strong healthy man to a dried up husk in a few moments. And still, looking at the form on the floor Helena's fear drained away, the Wraith was dying, it's hands in chains it just lay there on the stone floor muttering to itself, shivering as if cold.

The creature had been captured by one of the off world teams when it had been knocked out by a bullet to the back before it could escape with it's friends through the Stargate. The bullet would had healed off course, but by that time it was to late. The Wraith had found itself surrounded by Atlantis personnel and had not had much other choice than surrender or die. The Wraith had chosen to surrender and had been taken back to the floating city for questioning.

Over the next few weeks the creature had been interrogated repeatedly. Harsh methods had been employed. Dr Wier had not authorized the use of torture but what had been done had come pretty close. But the Wraith had revealed little, it had taken the pain and threats doled out to him like a pro and little useful had been extracted, however the Wraith did give the Atlantis expedition one thing. A problem.

Capturing and enemy soldier was one thing, interrogating it, damned well near torturing it, that was also seen as acceptable, after all a man got to do what a man got to do, but what now? The expedition could not just let their prisoner go, every human being that Wraith fed on from the time of his release until the time of his death, if he ever died, would be blood on the expedition's hands, and just executing a prisoner...now that idea tasted foul in some higher upper's mouth, so just once choice was left, just leave the Wraith in it's cell and let nature take it's course. Off course that was the same as killing the creature, but to the decision makers doing it like this just felt less dirty. So the Wraith was left in his cell, and he had been in that cell now for almost five weeks, slowly wasting away from hunger, each day bringing it one step closer to death and bringing the problem it posed one step closer to being solved.

Helena herself had not given the prisoner much though. Sure she was a bit worried that there was such a monster on the base, but she expected the cells to hold and the security people to do their jobs and just went on with her days, but then to day her name had come up on the guard rooster. Lt. Inges who was supposed to have this shift had to go home to Earth on urgent family business, his daughter was giving birth this his grandchild, so Helena was stuck with guarding the Wraith.

Almost two hours had passed of Helena's shift before the dying Wraith finally moved, curling a bit more up it gave out a low, painful moan. Helena turned towards the cell, she was a little unsure of what to do, she had been informed that the Wraith was starving and would show signs of being in pain, she had been told not to worry about it, but one thing was what she was told, another was to hear such sounds coming from another living being and doing nothing to help. Hesitantly Helena asked the inhuman prisoner:  
"Are you...do you require aid?"  
Silence, for a long moment there was silence then came a weak, chuckling sound, the Wraith was laughing. The sound of it's voice having a strange, inhuman echo like quality to it, half turning towards Helena the Wraith spoke.  
"Sure...just free my hands and get within reach, human and you will give me all the aid I need...no?...in that case you can not help me, so spare me your pity and leave me alone."

Helena met the Wraith's gaze, it had problems focusing, the face locked in a mask of pain. Helena knelt down beside the cage.  
"I do not pity you, but my race do feel compassion for other living beings in pain, and you seam to be in allot of it, I was only asking if there is anything I can do...Dr Carson, our physician, perhaps he can give you something for the pain, or make you more comfortable or something like that."  
The Wraith turned away and curled up again.  
"There is nothing your doctor can do human, this is how starvation works, like fire burning my insides, if you want to do something for me, either let me out or use that weapon of yours and shoot me, just end this hunger, it would be a mercy, either feed me, or kill me, please!"  
Helena hear such desperation, such pain in the Wraith's plea she felt her own eyes watering.  
"I am sorry, I can't do that. I have my orders...em...just rest, you will be all right, you'll see."  
The wraith barked a little labored laugh again.  
"How did they let someone as weak and naive as you into the military? It is a good thing for you that we still do not know where your world is or we would have had your race on it's knees and on it's way to be our food in less time than..."  
The Wraith's voice trailed of, it was to weak to speak any more. He was to weak to speak, Helena reminded herself, he, no matter what else the being in the cell was, he was also a man, a self conscious, dying being, and he at least deserved the respect of being through of as a he and not a it.

Helena reminded kneeling by the cell wall, only half a meter from the dying Wraith. The artistically created cell walls, like some elaborate cage, and it's force field protected her, but Helena still felt a bit uneasy about sitting so close to a starving Wraith, however she knew that if it had been her in there, fighting for her life, she would have appreciated the closeness of another living being, even one of their enemies. She suspected the Wraith felt the same for he did not make any snide remarks nor did he ask her to leave, though it could be that he was just to weak to talk. Helena let the Wraith rest while she studied his form, he was lying with his back to her, but she remembered his face from when he turned around, had it not been for the shark like teeth and the far to pale skin, he would have been beautiful in a bizarre way, his thin, well tones body, and sharp facial features giving him and appearance which was pleasing to human eyes.  
"What are your name?"  
Helena tried, no one had ever got a Wraith to give out his name, but Helena decided to try anyway. It took some time, Helena suspected the creature was gathering his strength to answer.  
"I believe your leader have already given me a human name for you to call me by if you must."  
Helena sigh, it was true colonel Sheppard took pleasure in giving short, archetypical human names to Wraith captives. More as a way to insult the creatures, Helena suspected, than any other reason, none of the Wraith had seamed to mind this however and non had protested their new names, Curious Helena pressed the issue.  
"But what are your true name, I mean the name you have among your people?"  
The Wraith half turned.  
"That is for me to know, and me alone."  
Helena was not satisfied with that answer.  
"But if only you know your name, what good is it then, how do people know what to call you?"  
The Wraith turned around with great difficulty so he could regard the human female with his yellow, slitted eyes. With a sigh he started to explain. Helena suspected that though she doubted she would get the creature to admit it, he was glad for the company, glad to have someone to talk to to take his mind of his hunger.  
"As no doubt you know my species are telepathic. We know witch one another is referring to just because...we just know. You, you need names. If your leader call out shoot the intruder, then if he do not specify with names either none will react as they will not assume he is speaking to them, or to many will react, more likely shooting one another then the intruder, if my Queen says shoot the intruder I just know if she is referring to me or some of my brothers, and even when we are speaking with words and not with our minds, we just know. For us, a name is not a handle used by others to refer to us, it is an anchor used to help preserve our own identity in the telepathic link we share, a anchor witch would be weakened if it was shared by my name is private, but you can call me whatever you want."  
Helena considered the explanation the Wraith had given her, it made sense she guessed.  
"But Shepperd have given you a name just to spite you, do not that bother you?"  
The Wraith shook his head.  
"No, if that is how he want to refer to me, then so be it, but if you want to refer to me as something else, then feel free."  
Helena considered it for a moment then she smiles.  
"White Hair, I will call you White Hair. My mother is Japanese and in that nation's naming tradition someone is named for a characteristic or for a deed, and well...I think it fits."  
The Wraith laughed.  
"I think you have just described every single male member of my species but why not. I am White Hair, now what are your name human?"  
Helena looked into the Wraith's yellow eyes.  
"Helena, Helena Yamasaki."  
The Wraith nods, his eyes slowly closed and he fell asleep, or, did Wraith sleep? Perhaps he fell unconscious for a while. Helena sat watching White Hair saying nothing, letting the sleeping monster rest.

After about an hour the Wraith opened his eyes again. Helena noted with sadness that he seamed even weaker before, she got the disturbing feeling that she was not guarding a prisoner but rather sitting death watch.  
"You are still here."  
The Wraith noted, a expression of pain flashing over his face when he spoke.  
"Easy now...sleep, do not talk it will wear you out."  
Helena said soothingly. The Wraith only bared those shark like teeth of his in a sarcastic grin.  
"No human, starvation is wearing me out, talking just spends my remaining strength a little bit faster, making sure this torment end sooner, no human girl, I wish to talk."  
Helena sigh, nodding she says.  
"As you wish, then talk."  
The Wraith was silent for several minutes gathering strength then he said.  
"Why did, you choose that name for me, White hair was it, why not Yellow Eyes or Tall And Grunt if you first was going to choose a descriptive name for me."  
Helena smiles.  
"Because your hair reminds me of snow, reminds me of an old Japanese fairytale my mother used to tell me, in fact your entire race remind me of that story."  
The Wraith looked intrigued.  
"Really, we remind you of some old story from your homeland, I guess the resemblance is of the villeins in this tale."  
Helena nods.  
"In a way."  
The Wraith grinned.  
"Tell me?"  
"Tell you what?"  
"Tell me the story, I would like to hear of these bogymen we so resemble."

Helena nods again, she closed her eyes for a moment, trying to remember the details of the tale, then she begun.  
"This is the tale of the Yuki Onna, the snow woman, in Japanese folklore she is a woman of unearthly beauty witch walks the snow covered land in winter, stealing the life out of those witch cross her path."  
The Wraith's grin grew wider.  
"Sounds like my kind of woman, do tell me more."  
Helena continued the tale she so many times had heard her mother tell as she tucked her in at night, the tale witch had made her and countless other Japanese children afraid of going out into the snow.  
"Once upon a time there lived a woodcutter man and his son near a small village, they where poor but got by. One day they where out working in winter they are surprised by a snowstorm and have to seek refuge in a nearby hunter's cabin. The two men fall asleep by the warmth from the fireplace. But in the middle of the night the door fly open and the snowstorm comes inside the small cabin, the fireplace go out and the youngest man wakes up to find a woman standing over his father, the woman was very beautiful, with inhumanly white almost transparent skin, and long, black hair. The woman breathed on the oldest man, stealing his life, and he instantly froze to ice, and the son realized that there was no human woman in the cabin with them, but a Yuki Onna, a snow woman. Convinced that his last hour on earth had arrived the terrified young man lay waiting as the Yuki Onna turned toward him, but before she could breathe on him and steal his life she stopped. She told the young woodcutter that she would spare his life because he was young and beautiful, but she also told him that he must never speak of what had happened in that cabin or she would kill him. The woodcutter agreed then the fainted from terror, and when he woke up he found the storm had cleared. The young man took his father's body back to the village but told no one what had happened."

Helena took a break in her story, looking at the dying Wraith, his breath had slowed, his eyes was intent on her, he seamed so weak. Helena wished she could help him, do something for him, but what could she do, to help him would mean another's death.  
"Go on, what happened to the woodcutter and the Yuki Onna?"  
Said the Wraith, nudging Helena to continue her tale.  
"Ah yes, the woodcutter. He continued with his life, but next year, during a terrible storm came a knock on his door, a woman was outside, seeking shelter. The woodcutter was a kind man so he let the stranger in, and the two of them shared a meal and they talked, and talked and then they fell in love. The woman told the woodcutter that hat name was Oyuki, witch simply means great snow, or much snow, and soon the woodcutter and Oyuki was married. Over the years Oyuki proved to be a good wife and she and the woodcutter had several children. Oyuki was strange though, and she did not seam to age. One night however the woodcutter told his wife that she reminded him of a woman he once had met, and he told her ok the Yuki Onna witch had killed his father. Oyuki stood up in rage. I was me you met, I told you never to speak of what happened in that cabin, for now I can no longer live with you. The Yuki Onna told the woodcutter that she had sworn to kill him if he broke his promise, but she found that because of the children she could not. And then she ran out and disappeared into the snow without a trace and she was never seen again."  
Helena said, finishing the story. The Wraith just lay still with closed eyes for a while and Helena believed he had fallen asleep again, but then he spoke.  
"Perhaps then, one my my race have visited your planet before Helena."  
Helena almost glared at the Wraith.  
"What do you mean?"  
The creature slowly opened his eyes and grinned.  
"A woman with almost transparent white skin, long black hair and inhuman beauty as you said, witch steals the life out of people and witch do not age. Sounds like a Wraith Queen to me, and it is not unlikely that meeting a Wraith for a society witch know nothing of us would translate into such a folk tale."  
Helena had not considered that, but yes the description did fit, perhaps she should mention it for one of her superiors one day, perhaps there was a Wraith in Japan, perhaps the Yuki Onna legends was one such flesh and blood creature having found it's way to Earth. Helena hoped it was not the case. Japan was so rich with folklore, and she did not really want there to be flesh and blood explanations for those tales, that would rob them of their mystery. But still, like White Hair said, the description of the Yuki Onna was actually close enough to a Wraith Queen to be deserve investigation.  
"Perhaps...perhaps one of your kind is on Earth...in witch case we will find her."  
The Wraith fixated Helena with his yellow glare.  
"Find her and do the same to her as you have done to me? Please I understand that you kill me, we kill you, you kill us, it is the natural order of things, but do not let me suffer this torture any longer. Please...it hurts...please either feed me or kill me. I just want to pain to stop."  
Helena looked down, shameful. This was not right, it was not right to torture the Wraith like this, no matter what he had done, he had done it for survival, not for spite. But what could she do.  
"I can not help you White Hair...I am sorry, there is nothing I can do."  
The Wraith closed his eyes in despair. A scream of hunger and agony escaped his pale lips. Turning to Helena he whispered, all strength seamed to have gone out of him with the scream.  
"Then please stay human named Helena, I do not want pity, but I would welcome companionship in my last hours."  
Helena nods.  
"I will stay White Hair, you can rest now, I will stay with you, there is no reason for you to fight to hang on to this pain, just let go, let go and sleep, sleep my friend."  
The Wraith nods, his eyes slowly closed for the last time. His cells, no longer having the life force to function begun to die. Guardsman Haraldson came to relive Helena, but the young woman choose to stay. She had given her word, and she sat kneeling by the cell wall, watching the still form of the Wraith, feeling like the woodcutter must have felt as his Oyuki fled into the snow. By noon White Hair had slipped into a coma, by nightfall he drew his last breath and was no more. And Helena, Helena stayed by White Hair's side until his body was taken away to the lab to be dissected. Then and only then did Helena return to her quarters, she knelt by the shrine she as a practicing Shinto kept in her room and lighted a small candle and said a prayer, a prayer for a creature no one else on the base could see as anything but a monster, but who Helena knew was a monster with a soul. She prayed that White Hair would be welcomed by the ancestor Spirits, and she asked the same Spirits forgiveness for the atrocity she by her inaction, by her following orders had been a part of committing. One thing was sure, she would never forget the Wraith prisoner, she would stay with him in her mind and in her prayers for as long as she lived, she like she had promised him. 


End file.
